POLITICAL NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1706, 8 November 1887, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS.

[FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, November ?. A motion to be moved m the Legists* ;lve Council to-morrow by SirFfedsrlok Whltsker, and of which I informed yon some days ago, relative to certain reform! m the Oounoll, has been the topio of general oonveraation to-day, and various opinions are expressed on the proposal to reduce the number of members of the Ooancil. As may well be eapposed, not many are to be fonnd opposing the pro* posed number on that ground alone, at few who are not of tha opinion that tha Ooanoil la already too large for the requirements of the colony. The objeotlon^ ia altogether on the grounds that the number is proposed to be fixed by statute* Thru, it is considered, places a represent** t-tive Government m danger, ta th* Council oould then ignore the will of tha people expressed bytheHoase,and no fresh members could be called to the Oounoll to cive effect to that will. This point appears to be convincing, though there may be something unconstitutional m the law to get over the difficulty. If there It, I shall, probably be informed by Sir Fredk, Whltaker when he move* is the matter to-morrow. In conversation with the Minister to* day, I got a hint to the effect that it It not the desire of the Government to preia more heavily than possible on "small i ny n " m the Oivil Service m carrying out the retrenchment policy, on the other hand, Government wish to deal with tha service In the most Jalr and just manner* being anxious to establish, on a sound and equal footing, officers who have been some frinpth of time m. the service, and equalise their salaries, whilst also tha salaries of those who appear to be under* paid are to be inoreased. It Is expected <h*t a general saving will be effected on the whole. I also learned from the same soured that a wrong eonatruotlon appears to havo. beta put on that portion of the Financial Statement dealing with publio works. Many seem to think that because tha Gorge itailway Fund la particularly menti >ned as being exhausted, /Government did not intend proo edlng with the work* it is n»w understood that Government; vlll place a vote for the work on th* Pablio Works estimates, and It will thea be for the House to deal with the matter* It will be remembered that Mr Levesfam occppied the time of the House a faw days ago over ventilating a griev a ce as to the members of the Upper Boose Interfering with the purpose of loflaoncing the election reault. He has been drafting a Bill, which renders any Legislative CoanclHor liable to disqualifi* o tloa if he addressea the eleotors m any way by pablio meeting, advertisement, or circular, as ML.O If any of thesa letters appear attached to his name to advertisement or circular.